The announcement is first of its scale for any academic achievement in India.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced a Rs.100-crore prize for any scientist from Andhra Pradesh who wins Nobel Prize.

The announcement is first of its scale for any academic achievement in India.

During the inaugural ceremony of the Children Science Congress at Sri Padmavati Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam (SPMVV) at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, he said: “We expect to see several leading scientists and Nobel prize winners emerge from this lot. As youngsters are more adaptive to technology, we hope that the existing demographic dividend will provide several innovative idea.”

In this connection, Naidu made a spontaneous announcement that if any scientist from Andhra was able to get the Nobel Prize, he would give a prize money of Rs.100 crore to him or her. He was flanked by Nobel laureate and Director of the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research at the University of Tokyo, Prof. Takaaki Kajita,

“I want young scientists to take it as a challenge. I am not bothered how you get it. It depends on how hard you work and how much research you would do. I am announcing the cash incentive to inspire you. And you have to strive hard to win the Nobel Prize and bring glory to India,” he said.

Stating that his government would encourage scientists to excel in their research activities, the Chief Minister called upon the students to come up with innovative ideas in the field of science. “You can work wonders if you add innovation to technology. India needs young and innovative scientists, who are brimming with ideas. Come up with new ideas, which might pave way for major scientific breakthroughs in future,” he said.

He asked Prof. Kajita tips and tricks for securing a Nobel Prize, for which the latter’s reply was ‘Hard Work’. Mr. Naidu conjoined the ‘Hard Work’ mantra with ‘Enjoying Work and Life’.

Earlier, he laid foundation stone for a Rs.1,500-crore science museum to be set up in a sprawling 200-acre campus at Alipiri, the foothills of Tirumala.